Pressing apparatus



Sept. 12, 1944. Q B. J. BABBITT ET A1.

PRESSING APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l film raw E B 2 W H C T .QNWBM. H m CY 5. a NE Sept. 12, 1944.

B. J. BABBITT PRES S ING APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmW m Z W M Wm lJ .c B00. 8

Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,357,867 PREssmG APPARATUS;

Bethel J. Babbitt, Riverside, and Cecil McCain, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 7, 1943, Serial No. 482,212

Claims. (01. 1541) This invention relates to pressing apparatus and particularly to apparatus combining pressing and cooling arrangements for use 'in attaching a plurality of articles of different thicknesses to a support by means of pressure and liquid adhesive.

The invention is particularly applicable to the attaching by pressure and liquid adhesive of small dimensioned irregularly shaped delicate quartz crystal plates used, for example, in filters in the communications art to a metal plate for supporting the crystals, which are of difierent thicknesses, during subsequent lapping operations. In order that crystals of varying thicknesses may eventually be lapped to the same thickness, it is necessary that a uniform pressure should be applied to each crystal during the setting of the adhesive so that each crystal will be uniformly adhered to the support to obtain parallel faces on the crystals when finally lapped. A liquid type of adhesive is used to attach the crystals and, in order to accelerate the setting thereof, the supporting plate is heated.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and practicable apparatus whereby articles of the above-described general type may be economically attached, in a minimum of time with uniform pressure to a support.

In accordance with the above object. in one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a reciprocatory platen having a flexible and. yieldab-le pressure head of fabric or other suitable material containing shot or spherules of lead or other weighty material, the platen being.

raised and lowered by means including cams to engage the pressure head with the crystals and apply a uniform pressure to each crystal to be attached to a heated plate by a liquid adhesive smeared on the plate. The plate is supported on a grille mounted in a receptacle, through which is constantly flowing at a predetermined rate a cooling medium in which the plate with the crystals is partly submerged, without the crystals being in the medium, to absorb the heat and thus accelerate the setting of the liquid adhesive. The cooling medium level in the'receptacle is controlled by a reciprocatory weir, which is automatically and simultaneously raised through operative connections to the platen as the platen is lowered to gradually raise the level of the medium and maintaining the same around the heated plate during the setting of the adhesive and is lowered as the platen is raised to lower the medium level below the plate.

Other objects and advantages of this invention the apparatus.

will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front View, partly in section, of a combined pressing and cooling apparatus embodying the features of this invention, the pressing head being shown in its retracted position and the cooling medium at its lower level;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, looking at the left side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the pressinghead in its operative advanced position and the cooling medium at its raised level.

Referring tothe drawings in detail, l0 indicates a supporting frame which includes a cooling medium compartment II at its lower end, the cooling compartment having a back wall l2 which extends upwardly an appreciable distance and upon which are mounted various elements of Extending parallel to the back wall I2 and spaced froma parallel front wall I3 is a partition M which extends between side walls I! and I8 to form a cooling medium overflow compartment 19, the upper edge of the partition lying a suitable distance below the upper edges of the front and side walls l3, I1 and i8. In communication with the cooling compartment I I through the back wall 12 is a pipe 20, through which cold water, in the present embodiment of the invention, is constantly supplied at a predetermined rate through a valve 2| to the compartment. Communicating with the overflow compartment I!) through its bottomwall 22 is a pipe 23, by means of which the constantly flowing water drains from the apparatus.

Mounted in the cooling compartment II is a removable grille 24, which includes opposite side members 25, which rest on the bottom wall 22. The grille 24 serves to support, upon its upper edges, 3 work supporting plate 26 in the form of a solid metal disc of appreciable thickness. The work supported on the plate 26 for attachment thereto in the present application of the invention comprises a plurality of small dimensioned irregularly shaped delicate quartz crystal plates 21, which are of varying thicknesses and may have their opposite faces in different planes. The manner of attaching the crystal plates 21 to the supporting plate 26 will be described here-' inafter. At their forward edges (Fig. l) or at.

their right edges (Figs. 2 and 5), the grille side 'members are formed with notches 28 and slidable upon vertical faces 3! thereof and a similar face 32 of the partition I4 is a weir 33 which is raised or lowered in a manner to be presently described in the operation of the apparatus to raise or lower the level of the constantly flowing water in the compartment II, the water level, when the weir is raised, being indicated by the broken line 34 (Fig. 5), and, when lowered, by the broken line 35 (Fig. 2).

Supported from the back wall 12 of the frame l0 above the compartment H and grille 24 is a vertical cylinder 38, which is open at each end. The cylinder 38 is attached to the back wall l2 by a channel-shaped member 39 welded to the cylinder, the member being supported on the wall by screws 40 extending through the wall and threaded into the Web wall of the member. For the purpose of facilitating the alignment of the cylinder 38 so that its. longitudinal axis will be perpendicular to the upper face of the grille 24, the rear face of the member 39 is clamped against a plurality of 'set screws 4| threaded into the back wall l2 and arranged in pairs at each side of the screws 40. By manipulating the screws 40 and 4|, an accurate alignment of the cylinder 38 with respect to the grille 24 and the securing of the cylinder to the back wall l2 may be effected. Reciprocably guided in the cylinder 38 is a cylinder 42, having fixed, by welding to its outer face, a plurality of equally spaced guide bars 45, which ride on the inner face of the cylinder 38. The cylinder 42 is open at its upper end and extending outwardly therefrom at diametrically opposite points are bearings 46, in which is journalled a shaft 41. Fixed to the ends of the shaft 41 are aligned cams 48, the forward end of the shaft (Fig. 1) having fixed thereto a handle 49, whereby the cams may be rotated in unison.

' The peripheral faces of the cams 48 ride upon hearing plates 50 secured tolugs 5| on the upper end of the fixed cylinder 38 in alignment with the cams. It will be apparent, byrotating the handle 49, 180" in either direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, that the cylinder 42 may be lowered from its position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 5 and then by reversing the movement of the handle, the cylinder may be elevated again. Stop pins 52 carried by the cylinder 42 and spaced 180 apart in cooperation with a pin 53 carried by the forward cam 48 (Fig. 1) limit the movement of the cams to 180 in either direction. Opposite slots 54 formed in the cylinders 38 and a cooperating pin 55 entered at opposite ends therein and fixed to the cylinder 42 prevent rotary movement of the latter cylinder. The lower open end of the cylinder 42 (Fig. 1) has a flange to which is secured an inverted cup-shaped platen or pressing head 56, to which is clamped, as indicated at 59, a cloth bag or enclosure containing small shot or spherules of leadfi I, or other suitable members.

The members 6|, in order to provide the desired results, should individually be of very small area as compared to the crystal plates 27 against which they are pressed. The bag '68 containing the shot 6| "extends across the open lower end of 'thepressing head 56 and thus provides a flexible and yieldable weighted work engaging face on the head which is pressed against the Work 21 to be attached to the plate 26 and results in a uniform pressure being applied to each piece of Work 21, which,.as described 'hereinbefore, varies in thickness. It will be understood that, in addition to the weight of the shot 6|, the weight of the cylinder 42 is also applied against the Work 21.

The raising and lowering of the weir 33 to control the water in the cooling compartment ll, described hereinbefore, in timed relation to the lowering and raising of the cylinder 42 carrying the pressing head 56 is controlled by the follow ing operative connections between the cylinder 42 andthe weir 33. Attached to the upper end of the cylinder 42 is an angular shaped apertured bracket 62 and freely extending therethrough is a rod 63, which also freely extends through an aperturedlug 65 fixed to the member 39 on the cylinder 38. Surrounding the rod 63 between the lower face of the bracket 62 and the upper face of an. adjustable collar 61 fixed to the rod is a coiled compression spring 68, which provides a resilient operative connection between the cylinder 4-2 and the rod 63 to accommodate for an overtravel of the cylinder. The lower end face of the rod 63 abuts an interconnecting arm 59 of a U-shaped lever having two parallel arms 10 pivoted on a shaft T3 supported in the side members 25 of the grille 24. At their outer free ends,

7 the lever arms 10 are arranged to constantly engage, under the action of the spring 88 and the weight of the weir 33, the lower edge face of the weir. Thus, it will be apparent that as the cylinder 4 2 is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that of. Fig. 5, the weir 33 will be raised and upon again elevating the cylinder, the weir will be lowered. v

During the period in which one set of crystal plates '21 of the type previously described is being attached to their supporting plate 28 inthe apparatus above described and operated to the position shown in Fig. 5, another plate 26 is being heated to a suitable temperature by placingit on a hot plate or other heating means. Simultaneously with the heating of the plate '26 or immediately following the same, the upper face of the plate is smeared with a suitable adhesive in a sirupy state at room temperature, such as Canada Balsam, and then a plurality of crystal plates 21 are placed and arranged on the ad-' position (Figs. 1 and 2), the weir 33 is auto-' matically and simultaneously lowered by means of the operative connections, previously described.

between it and the cylinder 42 and thus the level of the cooling water indicated at 34 (Fig. 5) is lowered to that indicated at 35 (Fig. 2). The

cooled plate 28, with the adhesively secured crystal plates 21, the adhesive being thoroughly set, may now be removed from the grille 24 without the crystal plates or the operators .hand getting wet by the water in the compartment l I. The previously prepared set of crystal plates 21 mounted on the adhesively smeared heated plate 26 "is then mounted on the grille 24 and the cylinder 42 and its pressure head 58 is lowered in the manner previously described 'to the position shown in Fig. 5 and automatically and simultaneously therewith the weir 33 is raised to cause the constantly flowing cooling water in the compartment H to rise gradually to the level indiplate 26 gradually absorbs the heat and flows into the overflow compartment and is replaced by cold water from the source. If the water level was raised too fast to the level indicated at 35,

the heated plate 26 would cause sputtering of the water and the generation of steam which might come in contact with and damage the crystal plates 21.

Thus, the heat of the plate is gradually lowered by its contact with the cold water and the setting of the adhesive is greatly accelerated so that the attaching of the crystal plates 2! to the plate 26 is efiected in a minimum of time. Without this arrangement of cooling, the setting of the adhesive by room temperature would take several hours. As the flexible and resilient pressure head 56 engages and presses downwardly on the crystal plates 21, the shot 61 therein shifts or flows upwardly, downwardly and laterally until, by their positions, they exert a uniform pressure on each of the crystal plates of varying thicknesses and without damaging them.

It will be understood that the embodiment herein described is merely illustrative of the invention and one application thereof and that modifications can be made and it is capable of other applications.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for attaching by pressure and liquid adhesive a plurality of articles to "a heated plate, a container for cooling liquid, a movable weir in said container for raising and lowering the level of the cooling liquid therein, means'for supporting the heated plate in said container, a reciprocatory platen for engaging and pressing the articles onto the heated plate, means for reciprocating said platen, and interconnecting means between said platen and weir operable in timed relation to a movement of said platen to engage the articles for moving said weir to raise the level of the cooling liquid in the container to partly submerge the heated plate and upon a movement of said platen away from the articles for moving said weir to lower the level of the cooling-liquid below the plate.

2. In an apparatus for attaching by pressure and liquid adhesive a plurality of articles to a heated member, a container for a cooling medium, a movable weir in said container for raising and lowering the level of the cooling medium therein, means for constantly supplying said container at a predetermined rate with a cooling medium, means for supporting the heated member in said container, movable means for applying pressure to the articles to be attached, and interconnecting means between said movable means and weir operable in timed relation to the applying of pressure .bysaid movable means for moving said weir to gradually raise the level of said cooling medium in said container to partly submerge the heated article supporting member and upon release of pressure against the article for moving said weir to lower the level of the cooling medium below the article supporting member.

3. In an apparatus for attaching by pressure and liquid adhesive a-plurality of articles of varying thicknessesto a heated plate, a container for a cooling liquid, a movable weir in said container for raising and lowering the cooling liquid therein, means for supporting the heated plate in said container, areciprocatory platen having a yieldable pressure head for engaging and uniformly pressing the articles onto the heated plate, said head comprising a flexible enclosure holding ,weighty particles, means for reciprocating said platen, and a link and leverage mechanism operatively connecting said platen and weir operable in timed relation to a movement of said head to engage the articles for moving said weir to raise the level of the cooling liquid in the container to partly submerge the heated plate and upon movement of said head away from the articles for moving said weir to lower the level of the cooling liquid below the plate. r

4. In an apparatus for attaching articles to a heated member, a container for cooling fluid, means for supplying a constant flow of cooling fluid to said container, a' movable weir in said container for raising and lowering the level of the cooling fluid therein, means for supporting the heated member in'said container, movable means for applying pressure to the articles to be attached, means for actuating said movable means, and interconnecting means between said movable means and weir operable in response to a movement of said movable means to engage the articles for moving said weir to raise the level of the cooling fluid in the container to. partly submerge the heated member and upon a movement of said movable means away from the articles for moving said weir to lowerthe level of the cooling fluid below the heated member.

5. In an apparatus for attaching articles to a heated member, a container for cooling fluid, a movable weir in said container for raising and lowering the level of the cooling fluid therein, means for supporting the heated member in said container, movable means for applying pressure to the articles to be attached, means including a rotary cam for actuating said movable means, K

moving said weir to lower the level of the cooling fluid below the heated member.

BETI-IEL J. BABBI'I'I'. CECIL o. MCCAIN. 

